It has previously been proposed--see, for example, the referenced German Patent Publication Document DE-OS No. 30 26 319, HARDTKE, to locate a support spring within a housing and, if it is required to place the spring in a predetermined position, based on weight placed on the spring, to block further movement of the spring by a blocking element which can be placed in interfering position with the spring. Spring supports, whether designed for suspension of a load from the spring, or to support a load from a base, frequently must be locked in a predetermined position, with a predetermined bias stress placed on the spring. Blocking of the spring substantially simplifies mounting of the spring holder or support. The spring can be prestressed, for example before assembling the load thereto, for a loading which corresponds at least approximately to that to which it will be subjected. This permits locating the spring holder in a position with respect to a support element which corresponds at least approximately to that which it should have when the load is suspended from the spring. Supporting a load that way has the advantage that the spring support holder itself can be adjusted, for example by a suitable adjusting screw connection or the like, to support the load at predetermined levels while permitting resilient deflection in case of changes of the load, under vibration conditions or the like. The predetermined level may well be required in order to permit, for example, gravity flow through a pipe suspended from the spring support. Prestressing the spring, and locking the spring in a certain position, or leaving the spring unstressed and locking it in position, may be suitable for certain applications. Furthermore, at times it is desirable to provide a setting for a maximum excursion of the spring, for example when testing the load suspension or, for example, when the spring support is used to maintain a pipe line under a pretermined condition, and the pipe line, to test tightness and pressure acceptance, is subjected to a fluid which may be heavier than that with which it is intended to be used in service. Blocking the excursion of the spring under such loading conditions then prevents overloading of the spring and possible damage thereto.
The referenced German Patent Disclosure Document DE-OS No. 30 26 319 discloses the use of a plurality of segments which are stacked on a common axis and which are pivotable about the common axis, for example formed by a bolt. Upon pivoting, one or more of the stacked segments can be placed in interfering position with respect to the spring, or an element coupled thereto. Use of a blocking device as there described requires measuring the deflection, for example of an end plate secured to the spring, under predetermined loading conditions. This measurement then must be transferred to the stack of segments so that that one of the segments which has the appropriate height with respect to the end plate of the spring can be deflected into an interfering position with respect to the end plate, and thus hold it in place. After this measurement and setting is carried out, the spring, typically a spiral spring located in a tubular housing forming the spring support, can then be assembled with an external hanger and a load.